Costa Rica knows how to show you a good time

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I do not think I have been anywhere in the world that has tourism down as well as Costa Rica. Well, maybe Walt Disney World, but that’s a given. It seemed that anywhere we stayed; they had access to a vast array of transportation and attraction options at their fingertips. No matter how close or how far we wanted to travel, they assisted us perfectly. It made traveling throughout the country very easy.

Everyone has certain things they enjoy to do when they travel. We love adventures, seeing critters, beautiful scenery, relaxation and good food.  For the most part, Costa Rica fit the bill in every way, except that good food was a bit of a stretch. After a day of recovering from our 17 hour journey from New York to Costa Rica, by the way of Mexico City, we traveled to the village of Santa Elena, just 20 minutes outside of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.  Our hotel in Alajuela (just 10 minutes from the airport outside of San Jose) booked us a very reasonable private shuttle to Santa Elena. Not only did Eduardo drive the van, but he was also a tour guide with a wealth of knowledge. We learned so much about the area and history during our 4 hour journey up through the mountains. It was an excellent introduction to Costa Rica and perfect timing as it was the beginning of our trip. We even stopped at a roadside café for coffee, fresh tortillas with fried cheese and a blackberry smoothie, and, of course, used their facilities before we drove the last stretch of the long bumpy unpaved road to Santa Elena.

I didn’t know this when I booked it, but Santa Elena is a backpackers haven. The town appeared to have more hostels than hotels and everything a traveler needs including banks, supermarkets, public buses, restaurants, internet, art supplies, bookstore and a drugstore. It’s a little hippy Mecca in the middle of the rainforest. The prices for lodging are considerably less than in the village of Monteverde, that’s why I chose it along with all the other budget travelers.

Really hard to capture the awesomeness of the cloud forest.

It is really hard to capture the awesomeness of the cloud forest.

Hazel worked the reception at the Pensión Santa Elena, where we stayed in Santa Elena. She was an awesome concierge. She shared a wealth of information with us so we could pick what trips worked for our family. She did a fantastic job selecting guides for us too. It was the start of our trip, so we decided to go on some guided hikes, to get the lay of the land, see critters, identify the fauna and flora plus learn where to look for the critters. We figured after a guided night hike and day hike we could do the rest on our own.  This plan worked out great for us. Compared to most people we ran into, we saw more than our fair share of critters. We really lucked out with our guides too. During the night hike, our guide, Hector, was great with Mathew, he always made sure Mathew could see the critter he found as well as not lose Mathew in the dark.

Orange Kneed Tarantula we saw on our night hike. He was huge!

Orange Kneed Tarantula we saw on our night hike. He was huge!

Juan Carlos, led our day hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, we almost immediately saw a Resplendent Quetzal, several 2-Toed Sloths, another Resplendent Quetzal, a Coatimundi, which came up to us like a squirrel would back home. We also saw an Orange Bellied Trogon  , many different varieties of hummingbirds, one actually sitting on its nest, and interesting flowers such as the Dutchman Shoes, Red Shrimp Flowers, Fern Trees along with a huge Paper Wasp nest, Green Walking Stick and some crazy looking caterpillars.  After a 3 hour hike with Juan Carlos, we set off on our own and actually saw 6 more Resplendent Quetzals, which are apparently rare but not if you sit in front of an avocado tree during their lunch time.

Walking above the canopy in the emergent layer. Amazing to get a birds eye view.

Walking above the canopy in the emergent layer. It was amazing to get a birds eye view. Some bridges were over 180 feet high.

Over 20 years ago, I read about walking through the rainforest canopy on suspension bridges and wanted to do it ever since. The next day we went to Selvatura, where they have 8 suspension bridge crossings through the Monteverde Cloud Forest.   It was better than I ever imagined, at several points we were above the canopy looking down. Although, we only saw a couple birds it was truly magical to experience to have that point of view. In two days, we experienced all layers of the rainforest – the forest floor, the understory, the canopy and emergent layer. Truly, a dream come true, and we were only a couple of days into our adventure.

Walking through understory.

Walking through the understory.

94 years just doesn’t seem enough

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mathew and peteI am one of the millions that has been deeply affected by Pete Seeger and mourn his loss,  I’m also rejoicing in my good fortune – I was entitled to share the earth with him. I am compelled to pay my respects, but I am at a loss. I woke up on Tuesday morning to the news of his passing and have been overwhelmed with thoughts and memories of him ever since.

I have had the privilege of meeting Mr. Seeger on several occasions, listen to his wisdom and be moved by his music. A perfect example of Mr. Seeger’s kindness is the first time I actually met him. In the early 90s, I used to volunteer at Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival when it was held at WestchesterCommunity College. Pete and his wife Toshi founded the music festival in 1966, to raise funds and consciousness of the problems the Hudson River and earth were suffering from, as well as uniting the community around the river. I believe they have been more than successful in delivering their message and uniting the communities over the years. I usually volunteered with a friend but, one year, plans changed and I ended up volunteering by myself. Not a big deal as there was always a friendly, community aspect to the event and you never really felt alone. During lunch one afternoon, I sat by myself at an empty table. Then an older gentleman asked if he could sit with me. At that moment, I really didn’t know who he was but after a few minutes into our discussion, his voice gave him away.  We had a lovely lunch together and welcomed more people to join our table. Afterwards, we wished each other well and then departed. I always had a deep respect for him but after our chat I was left with a profound reverence than cannot easily be articulated – even today. As so many people have noted during this time of mourning and reflection, he never had the airs of a celebrity; when interacting with Mr. Seeger – it was human to human. That was his magic.

Over the years, I became ever more charmed with him, his message and delivery. I know I am not alone. In 2011, I felt an urgency to tell him how much I appreciated his dedication and that he was such a magnificent role model for us all. He was 92, and I was not sure how many more opportunities I would have to tell him. My plan was to tell him at the Hudson River Revival in June. Luckily, I found him early in the day. I walked up to him with Mathew. I introduced Mathew and myself – he already started to look uncomfortable, as he knew I had more to say. Although, I was very nervous, and knew he would rather move on – I was able to tell him how much he meant to me, and thanked him for all his efforts and what a difference he has made in my life. I REALLY want to hug him, but I  respected his obvious need for space. He simply replied, “Oh, it’s not me, it’s all the volunteers that make it happen.” I corrected him, that without him in the first place, we would not all be there to celebrate. He smiled and walked away.

I was fortunate to see him perform several more times after that day, but it seems so unbelievable that last June was the last time I will have ever seen him perform.  Although, we were blessed with him for 94 years, it just doesn’t seem enough. Thank you Mr. Seeger, may you rest in peace.